Watch with support strut



Sept. 27, 1960 a J. H. G. SEAGER 2,954,196

WATCH WITH SUPPORT STRUT Filed Jan. 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 27, 1960 J. H. cs. SEAGER 2,954,196

WATCH WITH SUPPORT STRUT Filed Jan. 5, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor JU/M/ HE VIQY 67/1 4 I A Home y United States Patent l 'wATc'H SUPPORT STRUT John Henry Ginn Seager, 81 Bodley Road, Surrey, New Malden, England This invention is concerned with pocket watches.

It has been proposed to provide a pocket watch with a strut pivoted to the back of the watch case in such a manner thatthe strut can be swung rearwardly and outwardly from a position in which it is flush with said back, for the purpose of enabling the watch to be stood up after the fashion of a clock. However, known arrangements of this kind have the disadvantages that the support of the standing watch is unstable, and the watch face inclines so far backwardly from the vertical that it can not be read easily by a recumbent person.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages. It provides a watch having a strut, of wire or thin sheet metal or plastic or the like, provided with a curved foot or feet for enabling the watch to be stood up at will after the fashion of a clock, said strut in the inoperative position being wholly flush with the watch case characterised in that the strut is reversible through 180 to an operative position in which it is also flush with the back of the watch ease except that its curved foot or feet projects or project rearwardly, rigidly to support the watch in a substantially vertical position.

The strut may be removably held flush to the back of the watch case in both its inoperative and its reversed operative position by a pin-and-slot connection. Alternatively the strut may be hinged by a horizontal hinge to the back of the watch case so as to be reversible downwards to its operative position about said hinge.

Many different embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention, some of which are shown, merely by way of non-limiting examples, on the accompanying drawings.

Figs. 1 and 2 show one embodiment, Fig. 1 being a rear view of a watch case with a removably attached reversible member occupying a position flush with said ease, and Fig. 2 being a corresponding side view in which reversed position of the member is also indicated in dotted outline.

Figs. 3, 4 and show a second embodiment, Figs. 3 and 4 being views respectively similar to Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 5 being a partial section in line V-V of Fig. 3.

Figs. 6 and 7 show, partly in cross section, three further ways of removably attaching the reversible memher to a watch case.

Figs. 8 and 9 are views respectively similar to Figs. 1 and 2 of another embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a rear view of still another embodiment.

Throughout the several figures the reference 1 denotes a watch case and 2 a reversible member provided in accordance with the invention for the purpose already mentioned.

In the embodiment represented by Figs. 1 and 2 the back of the watch case 1 is provided with a pin or stud 3 having an enlarged head 3a, and with an elongated projection 4 below this stud. The member 2 has a keyhole slot 5 and a narrow guide slot 6 the latter corresponding in width to the projection 4. The lower part 2 of the thin sheet-like member 2 is broadened as clearly shown'in Fig. l and terminates in curved portions 2a.

Clearly the member 2 can be attached to the back of the watch case 1180. that, as shown, itlies substantially flush with the case, the curved portions 2a then embracing the rounded periphery of the case; or the member can be attached in the reversed position in which event its curved portions 2a will project rearwardly from the watch case, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, to constitute feet whereby the watch may be supported on any flat surface after the fashion of a clock. In the first-mentioned position the member does not interfere with the watch being carried in the normal way in a garment pocket or other receptacle.

Attachment of the member 2 to the back of the watch case in either of its two positions is effected simply by passing the enlarged end of the key-hole slot 5 of the member over the head 3a of the stud 3 and then sliding the member bodily upwards until the narrow part of the keyhole slot is under the stud head and the projection 4 engages the guide slot 6.

'In the form of the invention shown by Figs. 3 to 5 the upper parallel-sided part of the member 2 has an open slot 6a slidably to engage the stud 3 between the back of the watch case and an enlarged head 3b of the stud. The back of the watch case has four guide pins or projections 4a that engage the upper part of the member 2. The manner of removably attaching the member to the watch case in either of its two positions is similar to that already described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

'Figs. 6 and 7 show possible modifications with a view to avoiding projections on the back of the watch case.

i In Fig. 6 the back of the case is doubly recessed at 1a to accommodate the member 2, and the outer recess is closed by a plate 7 between which and the walls of the inner recess the upper part of the member 2 is slidable. Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6 except that the plate 7 is attached to the watch case by a rivet 8 or the like and the upper part of the member 2 has a slot similar to the slot 6a in Fig. 3 to clear the rivet 8.

A still more artistic appearance is attained by recessing the back of the watch case 1 in the manner shown in Figs. 8 and 9 where, as before, the member 2 is slidable to and from engagement with the watch case in reversible positions in one of which it is substantially flush with the case and in the other of which its portions 211 project to constitute supporting feet.

The form of the invention shown by Fig. 10 difiers from the forms hereinbefore described in that the mem ber 2 is permanently attached to the back of the watch case 1 so as to be reversible from a position in which it is flush with the watch case to a position in which its curved portions 2a constitute projecting and supporting feet. As is plain from this figure the member 2 is hinged to the back of the watch case :at 9 so that it can be swung about the hinge to the flush position shown or to a reversed position as aforesaid. If desired the back of the watch case may have a stud below the hinge to snap into engagement with a hole in the member 2 when this is swung down.

It is to be understood that the invention extends not only to watches equipped with supporting members as herein set forth but also to watch backs or rear covers constructed for the attachment of such members as well as to the support members themselves.

I claim:

1. A pocket watch having a strut provided with at least one curved foot for enabling the watch to he stood up at will after the fashion of a clock, and means attaching said strut to the watch for reversal through between an inoperative position flush with the back of the watch Patented Sept. 27, 1960 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wachter Nov. 27, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland; Oct. 24, 1899 Germany Feb. 27, 1929 France Deep 20, \1927 

